Record Turnout for The Magnificent Mile

RALEIGH, N.C. (September 18, 2009)—A record 803 participants turned out on Sunday, September 13, 2009 for The Magnificent Mile (www.magmilerace.com), benefiting the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation. The fourth annual fundraising event raised more than $45,000 for research into upper motor neuron diseases.

"I am simply overwhelmed by the community support shown on Sunday," says Sarah Roberts-Witt, founder and organizer of The Magnificent Mile. "The event surpassed my wildest expectations, and I am deeply indebted to all the sponsors, volunteers, and participants who made it possible."

The Magnificent Mile included one-mile runs and walks and served as the USATF North Carolina State one-mile championship. Both the men's and women's 2008 champions successfully defended their titles. Bobby Mack, a 24-year-old Raleigh resident, won the men's overall with a time of 4 minutes and 10 seconds. This broke the previous North Carolina record of four minutes and 13 seconds, set by Mack in 2008. The women's overall winner was 27-year-old Raleigh resident, Kasia Sujkowski, with a time of 5 minutes and 3 seconds.

The Magnificent Mile is the only area program specifically dedicated to raising awareness and money to fund research of the motor neuron diseases Primary Lateral Sclerosis and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. To date, nearly 2,300 participants have help raise more than $145,000 to fund research.

The event was the first of the eight-race Second Empire Grand Prix Series and is part of Endurance Magazine's Race Without a Trace initiative aimed at promoting races that are environmentally conscious.

Full race results are available at www.magmilerace.com.

About The Magnificent Mile:
Sarah Roberts-Witt, co-founder and inspiration behind The Magnificent Mile, was an avid runner and marathoner until developing primary lateral sclerosis in 2004. She is now confined to a wheelchair and is unable to speak, but the disease hasn't stopped her. Since her diagnosis, she has dedicated her time to trying to find a cure-one step at a time. This race combines her love of running with her desire to find a cure for motor neuron disease. The Magnificent Mile races have raised more than $100,000 to fund research grants awarded by the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation to help find a cure for motor neuron disease. Visit www.magmilerace.com.

About Spastic Paraplegia Foundation:
The Spastic Paraplegia Foundation (SPF) is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization founded in 2000 and the beneficiary of The Magnificent Mile races. Its primary mission is to find a cure for two upper motor neuron disorders, primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), and to raise awareness of their devastating effects. Some 92 percent of its funds go to this mission. Since its inception, the SPF has awarded more than $2 million in research grants. Visit www.sp-foundation.org.
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